New Sino-German Dual Vocational Education Alliance

On 21 October 2017, organisations and enterprises of vocational education formally established a “Sino-German Alliance on Dual Vocational Education” in Nanjing. Different from already existing bilateral VET associations, the new alliance will, according to its Chinese name, focus on the cooperation between enterprises and schools, and thus focus on truly “dual” vocational education.

The alliance was founded at the “International Summit for Vocational Education”, which was part of Education Plus 2017, an exhibition organized by Messe Stuttgart Nanjing Ltd. During the constituting session, founding members adopted by-laws and unanimously elected their chairman, Simon Zhao, CEO of National Center for Open  & Distance Education in Beijing.

Mark Ma, Vice General Manager of Open Education, referred to a 2016 study which estimated the vocational education market volume of China at 600 billion RMB (about 78 billion Euro) and further growing.  “In this market, the new alliance aims at developing the cooperation of enterprises and schools in vocational education, supporting the implementation of the Sino-German vocational education strategy, and establishing a new and sustainable type of cooperation.”

The new alliance is a branch organisation of the “China External Cooperative Alliance of Vocational  Education” in Beijing.

 

BMO Workshops in Laos

Income Generation of Chambers and Business Associations

Vientiane Workshop

Vientiane Workshop

The Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and (UNIDO) held two workshops on income generation of business membership organizations (BMOs) from April 25 through May 2, 2008. The workshops in the capital Vientiane and in Northern Laos’ Oudomxay Province were part of a training series on chamber and association management within the joint UNIDO-UNDP project “Promoting Private Sector Development Through Strengthening of Lao Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Business Associations” in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

The LNCCI Board of Directors met in Oudomxay for an internal meeting before opening the first workshop on April 25. President Kissana Vongsay, Vice Presidents Onesy Boutsivongsad, Dr. Sananh Chounlamany, Chantao Pathammavong, Sisanouk Sisombat, Southone Sirisack, Oudet Souvannavong, and Secretary General Khanthavong Dalavong participated in the discussion of income generation potential and new strategies of LNCCI, provincial CCIs, and the other BMOs. Deputy Secretary General Sengdavone Bangolesengdet explained the principles of decision-making and political advocacy of the business community within a strong and united BMO system. CIM Expert Dr. Ramon Bruesseler presented a status report on LNCCI strategy development in 2008. UNIDO Expert Helmut Schoenleber provided background information on international best practice in demand-oriented services for members, the structure of fair membership and service fees, and the optimization of other income.

Oudomxay province had been selected for this first workshop of the series, because the provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry is one of the youngest in the country and urgently needs support in capacity building and management. The provincial government underlined its strong interest in the new chamber: Oudomxay Governor Bounphone Buttanavong and Vice Governor Somsy Saybounhuang joined the group after the workshop and promised their continued support for the business community and its chamber.

Leaders and financial managers of LNCCI, five provincial chambers, and seven national business associations participated in the second workshop in Vientiane from April 28 through May 2. Trainers in this workshop were LNCCI Deputy Secretary General Sengdavone Bangolesengdet, accounting and auditing consultant Phonexay Sanasin, and UNIDO’s expert on business membership organizations, Helmut Schoenleber.

Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs

A Women’s Chamber of Commerce has been founded in Mengcheng, a county in Anhui province, on December 16, 2005. Anhui Federation of Industry and Commerce has supported establishing the new local chamber for women entrepreneurs which was registered through the county’s Department of Civil Affairs.